a few questions about my baby chicks

[jackiedon]

I have a few questions about my babies, I recevied Wed from My Pets

1. Last night I put a bowl in for dust bath which consist of play sand and DE. They started at first eating it and then using it to poop in. Hey think I could house break them?

But they poop started to get a little runny. So I gave them a little bit of shredded cheese.

2. Do you have ANY ideas how to keep the shavings out of the water? I have a small water so I really don't need the marbles to keep them from drowning but maybe it would keep the shavings out of it. I even used that drawer liner that many uses for the bottom of the incubator on day 18. It's non slip. Not working. THey are even getting food in the water. Thought about putting food on one end of the brooder and water at the other end but really don't like that idea.

3. Pine Shavings are the best?

4. The starter seems so big because these little Blacktail Japanese Bantams are so small. So I put the starter in the food processer to chop it up smaller. Is that ok?

5. Can anything be more fun!!!

That is all I can think of for now.

Thank you so much,

jackie

 

[Poison Ivy]

I sit my water on a piece of plywood cut into a 8x8 square. That helps alot and I keep the food at one end and the water at the other.

 

[BeckyLa]

Congratulations on your new chicks!!

1) Sometime stinky runny poo is normal, if they seem healthy I wouldn't worry too much unless you see worms or blood. (what's the cheese for?)

2) I put the waterer on a 2x6 that sits on top of the shavings. This helps, but I still have to clean it out once a day. I also put it and the 2x6 at least 6" from the feeder. This should keep the feed out, at least.

3) Yes, imho, pine shavings are the best although for dayolds I put a paper towel on top for a few days until they are well established as to what food is so they don't go to eating the shavings thinking it's food. But once they're getting into their feed well, the paper towels can be removed.

4) I, too, put starter through the blender for my banty babies. And they seem to do better bacause of it. imho

5) Not that I know of!!

 

[rosyposyosy]

u cant house train them - seriously they have no control over bowel movements.

 

[jackiedon]

I know you can't house train a chicken, I was just teasing.

jackie

 

[Barb Schuetz]

Straw works great in my opinion!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

You can put the waterer on a cinderblock or on a few bricks if you have them laying around like we do. I would be careful with hay cause someone told me that it can attract mites. Pine shavings are the best. DONT use cedar

 

[madcratebuilder]

Quote:
My DW swears she had three house trained chickens as a child. They would go to the door and walk in a circle. Maybe chickens from the nineteenth century were different........running for cover! I have house trained parrots in the past, chickens are almost as smart.